


Cold

by holdouttrout



Category: The Pretender
Genre: Gen, Holidays, Horror
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-12-20
Updated: 2008-12-20
Packaged: 2017-11-15 20:23:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 397
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/531321
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/holdouttrout/pseuds/holdouttrout
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Slightly crackified terror. It could also count as holiday fic, I suppose. *grins* Written for <b>blue_cove</b> challenge Vampires AU.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Cold

3:00 am. The phone rings.

"What."

"Parker, there is an evil worse than the Centre out there!" Jarod's voice was wild. Parker rolled her eyes and rolled out of bed, wincing as she felt her head start pounding.

"It's Christmas. Aren't you supposed to be trying to make me cry or give me warm fuzzies?" she says, hunting for the light switch.

Jarod was breathing heavily, irregular gasps that made it sound like he was terrified...or playing a rather sick joke. "Don't look for him."

"Who?" Parker said sharply. "Raines?"

"No, not Raines. Raines is nothing." Jarod whimpered, and Parker stopped moving. Even Raines wasn't awful enough to make Jarod whimper.

"Jarod, where are you?"

"It's cold, it's so cold," Jarod said. "They're going to find me, Parker. They have the sleigh, and I was on foot." He was slightly calmer now, but Parker recognized the tone as the one scared people used when their mind finally caught up to the fact that there was nothing they could do. "I expected the ears, but the _teeth_ \--"

She leaned forward, and thought, _first experience with recreational drugs_. "Jarod. Tell me where. you. are."

"It's too late, Parker. I just wanted to let you know--" he broke off, "They've found me. I'm sorr--"

There was a scream, high-pitched and horrible and then Parker swore she heard _gurgling_ through the phone before the line finally went dead. She held it up to her ear for a long moment before hanging it up and calling Broots.

"Do a trace. Now."

While Broots worked, she called Sydney, replayed the conversation for him, practically word for word.

Sydney was quiet. "I've heard rumors...a secret project, far, far away...not controlled by the Centre."

"Everything's controlled by the Centre," Miss Parker said.

Sydney was quiet for a long time, but for once Miss Parker didn't interrupt him. Finally, he said, "Not everything."

They met at the Centre, waited around until Broots finished the trace. "This...this makes no sense," he said.

"Show us," Sydney commanded, and Broots brought up a map with a yellow dot blinking in the Arctic.

"There?" Miss Parker said. "There's nothing there anymore--" she stopped. The yellow dot was far further north than it ought to be.

Miss Parker and Sydney gave each other uneasy looks.

"There's nothing there," Miss Parker repeated.

Sydney said, "There are rumors."


End file.
